Friday, February 14, 2014

As everybody should know by
now, jazz is enjoyed and appreciated worldwide. That said, this album
hails from a country that doesn’t yet have a big reputation in our genre of
choice. That’s something of an oversight; although mainstream American
jazz fans likely couldn’t cite artists who hale from Scotland, several of our
premier musicians proudly call that country home. One celebrated Scottish
jazz musician is saxophonist, composer and arranger Tommy Smith.

Smith’s father, also a jazz
buff and drummer, started his son on sax when he was 12 years old; he was only
16 when he released his first recordings with a quartet. During that same
period, Tommy earned a scholarship to Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music.
Just two years later, thanks to a recommendation from Chick Corea, he joined
Gary Burton’s group on a world tour.

By the late 1980s, and into
the early ’90s, Smith’s style had morphed into a more classical,
concert-oriented approach. He composed “programs” based on music
associated with famous jazz artists; he also formed his own recording company, Spartacus, so he’d have
more control over his material. This combination of classics and jazz was
quite popular, and drew major crowds at concerts throughout the world.

In the Spirit of Dukebegan as a project in the
early 2000s, which eventually was taken on the road in 2012. The performance
format was ambitious: stage settings were constructed to match the time period
of the music being played, and the arrangements were memorized, so the
musicians didn’t appear to be “reading.” The result could be called “repertory
jazz.”

This album features 18
individual segments that are identified by tunes that Ellington and his cohorts
— specifically Billy Strayhorn — composed, played and made famous, over the
years. These are blended in a manner that tells the story of these individuals. As
a result, many of the tracks herein are relatively short — averaging 3 minutes
— but everything flows beautifully.

The orchestra as a whole is
first-class, as are the individual musicians featured as soloists. It’s like an
evening at the theater, and it swings wonderfully. If you enjoy Ellington,
you’ll love what Smith and his Scottish National Jazz
Orchestra have produced.

Every true jazz fan,
particularly those who were part of the big band years, is familiar with Frank
Wess. This tenor sax master was born in Oklahoma, all the way back in
1922, and he’s still active ... as this wonderful album clearly
demonstrates.

Wess began his music career
in high school, initially playing tenor sax and classical music; he turned to
jazz after his family relocated to Washington, D.C. He was playing with big
bands by the time he turned 19. After an interruption for World War II
service, he joined Billy Eckstine’s band, returned to school at D.C.’s Modern
School of Music, and earned a degree in flute. He was hired by Count Basie
in 1953, an association lasted until 1964: an almost unprecedented period of
time for a jazz musician.

Not many reed artists
doubled on flute during those early years, and Wess won Downbeat’s critic poll for that instrument from 1959 through
’64. He also added the alto sax to his horn arsenal during that period.

It’s difficult to cite a
band that Wess hasn’t played with.
Clark Terry, Roland Hanna, Kenny Baron, Rufus Reid, Buck Clayton, Benny Carter,
Billy Taylor and Louis Bellson are just a few leaders to benefit from his
talents; he also was in backup groups for vocalists such as Ernestine Anderson
and Mel Torme. Wess is and always has been, to borrow the familiar phrase, a
“musician’s musician.”

From a talent standpoint,
he’s ageless. Most artists get stuck in a time slot: They’re remembered
for how great they were during a particular period. That’s not the case with
Wess; as jazz has advanced over the years, so has he. Although still
famous for his association with Basie, Wess also is noted for his contributions
to modernists such as John Coltrane, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Thad Jones and John
Pizzarelli.

This album mostly features
Wess with a “small jazz” group: a quartet that features pianist Kenny Barron,
bassist Kenny Davis, and drummer Winard Harper. The menu primarily comprises
melodies from the Great American Songbook and elite composers: Irving Berlin,
Ray Noble, Mercer & Arlen, Robin & Ranger, Thelonious Monk and Duke
Ellington. For good measure, Wess includes one of his own compositions, “Pretty Lady.”

The opening standard,
Berlin’s “Say It Isn’t So,” is done at a sinuous mid-tempo that showcases
Wess’ masterful tenor sax work, and illustrates just what pure jazz really
is. This album’s rendition of Noble’s “The Very Thought ofYou” is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard,
and it perfectly sets the stage for the aforementioned “Pretty Lady.” These
two ballads demand a few more “dance with me” melodies, and Wess obliges with “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “Easy Living.” By this
time, you won’t want to let go of your significant other; Wess further
amplifies that mood with the grooving “Blue Monk” and, finally, Ellington’s seldom-heard “All Too Soon.”

Wess is in his 90s,
and one can only hope he lives forever.This
is, simply, the best jazz album I’ve heard in years. Don’t miss it!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

This is the debut album from
31-year-old pianist/composer Craig Hartley, although he’s well known around the
New York City area. He’s another highly educated musician, having attended
the Manhattan School of Music, New York’s New School, and Hartt Music School,
in Hartford, Connecticut. He has worked with many of the well known Big Apple
artists, and has performed in most of the city’s jazz clubs.

All but one of the tunes on
this release are Hartley compositions; the one exception is “My Foolish Heart.”
Aside from a couple of up-tempo swingers, the majority of the melodies are done
at medium and balladic meters. His style evokes Bill Evans and Chick
Corea, and it’s interesting to note that Hartley himself (on his own website)
identifies his genre as classical, rather than jazz. That
said, the first track here is a spirited and swinging tune he calls “Dial 411” ... and if
that isn’t true jazz, I don’t know what is.

Liner notes provide
background comments for each of the nine tunes.

Hartley and the other two
members of his trio are excellent musicians: Bassist Carlo De Rosa is stunning
on his instrument, and drummer Henry Cole is extremely tasty. Trumpeter
Fabio Morgera, featured on two tracks, also is first-class.

Unfortunately, the same
cannot be said of the audio mixing and mastering. On several tracks, the volume
of Hartley’s left hand overwhelms that of his right; this is particularly
evident at slower tempos, and it tends to mask his marvelous melodic lines and
solo work.

Hartley and his
group are a force to be reckoned with, and their future looks bright.

As jazz has progressed over
the years, the use of guitar has changed significantly. Initially, melodic
melody lines most often were done at slow tempos, in concert or ballads. A
“strumming” technique was used for faster arrangements because, at the time,
the facility of the musicians — and the design of the instruments — didn’t
allow for high-speed single-string techniques. The guitar was used more as
a part of the rhythm section, rather than as a solo “horn,” and when solo
passages were taken, the multi-string
style predominated.

But that hasn’t been the
case for years.

Tom Dempsey is one of today’s
elite single-string artists. He has played with numerous top-drawer groups
and musicians and, like so many of them, he spends more time teaching than
performing. He has taught at Lincoln Center, LaGuardia Community College,
SUNY New Paltz, Rutgers University and the National Guitar Workshop.

Dempsey’s trio here is
relatively unique; he’s backed by Ron Oswanski on organ, and Alvin Atkinson on
drums. During his earlier years, Dempsey often worked at New York City clubs
that used Hammond B3 organ groups, and he loved the sound of the guitar/organ
combo. You’ll appreciate it as well, while listening to this album. The
delicate touch that Oswanski achieves never overwhelms Dempsey’s guitar,
instead filling in the musical “nooks and crannies” in the various
arrangements.

Dempsey composed half of these
10 compositions; the rest are by other artists. “Bock to Bock” is a Buddy Montgomery tune; “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
comes from Paul Simon; Lee Morgan composed “Ceora”; Bobby Sherwood wrote “My Secret Love”; and “One Hundred Ways” comes
from Coleman/Wakefield/Wright. The entire menu is choice, and everything
swings lightly and politely.